Ben Sternke

Field notes on life and mission with God after Christendom

Conferences / Events

The Ecclesia National Gathering: Why I’m Going

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Since the inception of our church plant, we have been part of a remarkable group of people and churches called The Ecclesia Network. This year our national gathering will be held March 5-7, 2012 near Washington, D.C. The focus this time is on how our churches can function as centers of reconciliation, where we learn through the power of the Spirit to live as one reconciled family of God across racial, economic, and generational lines. John Perkins, Ivy Beckwith, AJ Swoboda and others will join us for three days of conversation, learning, discussion, and prayer.

I’ll be attending the gathering again this year (with my 14-year-old son!), but not out of a sense of obligation because we belong to a network. I’ll be going because this isn’t like other conferences I’ve been to. There is a passionate desire among the organizers and attendees to simply equip people to join God in what he’s doing in their respective local contexts, and that comes through every single year.

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Missional Learning Commons 2011

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Okay, the short-and-sweet facts of the matter: For several years now, the Missional Learning Commons has been a highlight of my year. It’s a collaborative learning event for missional churches and practitioners to share stories, discuss ideas, and encourage one another for the sake of incarnating the Gospel in their contexts. It has been an incredibly generative time for me over the past few years, and I meet wonderful new people every year.

So you should come this year! This year’s MLC will take place Oct 28-29, 2011 in the Chicago area, and in addition to our regular diet of on-the-ground practitioners and collaborative discussion, we are excited to announce that Mike Breen and a team from 3DM will be around to share some of what they have learned and help facilitate some of our conversations by asking some provoking questions. They’ll also be doing a discipleship-and-mission workshop on Friday Oct 28 during the day (before the MLC) for those interested in learning more about what they do.

Head over the MLC site for more info and to register. Feel free to RSVP via Facebook as well. But for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, a little back-story:

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Huddle Workshop This Thursday

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Just a quick reminder that I’m leading an all-day Huddle Workshop this Thursday, May 12 in Chesterton, IN (just north of Valparaiso). Huddles are the most powerful and effective vehicle I’ve ever encountered for discipleship and leadership development. The workshop will function as an introduction to the theory and practice of Huddle.

The cost is $22 (includes lunch and materials), and there are only 8 spots left. Get more detailed information here, and register online here.

Also, for those coming from the East, don’t forget that Chesterton, IN is on central time.

Discipleship Huddle Workshop May 12

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UPDATE: You can now register online for this event.
Time, location, and cost details are on the registration site.

Over the past year or so I’ve been learning how to disciple people through a vehicle called Huddle. It’s not a program or a curriculum, but a simple, reproducible structure and set of tools that enables people to make disciples who make more disciples, which is what Jesus told us to do in the first place. It has been the most helpful thing I’ve ever encountered in the realm of discipleship, and has radically changed much of how I lead and do ministry.

As I’ve spoken with other leaders about what we’re learning, there has been a lot of curiosity and desire to hear more about what exactly Huddles are, why they work, how they’re different from all the other discipleship “material” out there.

So, to answer some of those questions and introduce people to Huddles, I will be leading a day-long, fairly informal Huddle workshop May 12 in Chesterton, IN.

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Reflections On the Ecclesia National Gathering

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Some of you may know that the network of communities I’m planting is part of the Ecclesia Network, which had its annual National Gathering near Washington, D.C. last month. I am just now finally getting around to sharing a few reflections on this year’s gathering, and the network in general (much like I did last year).

As I’ve reflected on this year’s gathering, my thoughts revolved around four headings, each one being an aspect of the gathering (and the network generally) that seems to set it apart from other kinds of similar gatherings/networks. [Read more…] about Reflections On the Ecclesia National Gathering